Target shield



United States Patent [72] Inventor EmmettJ.Gantz 1007 S. 14th 81., Burlington, Iowa 52601 [21] Appl.No. 715,216 [22] Filed March 22,1968 [45] Patented Nov. 24, 1970 [54] TARGEI'SHIELD 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl. 273/102, 40/152. I 46/1 248/206 [51] lnt.C1. F413 1/10 [50] Fieldol'Search 273/102, 102(3), 106.5(A), 105.1for known ref; 248/206. 363.467, 304; 40/10(D), 152.1;46/1

[56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,774,765 9/1930 Schoen 273/106.5(A) 2,039,352 5/1936 Ross ..2.73/l06.5(A)UX Burgard 2,206,159 7/1940 248/206 2,745,666 5/1956 Swartz .1. .....273/106.5(A)X 3,014,724 12/1961 Cryder et a1. 273/1051 3,355,174 11/1967 Hutson 273/102(S) 560,080 5/1896 Booher 40/ l 0(D)UX 2,540,221 2/1951 Ten Hoeve et al a. 40/10(D)UX FOREIGN PATENTS 1,030,452 3/1953 France 248/206 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Att0rney Berman. Davidson & Berman ABSTRACT: A game apparatus which includes a transparent shield, an upwardly open rectangular frame formed of channel members rigidly secured to the rear side of the shield for slidably receiving and removing a target placard, and legs depending below the bottom of the shield. The shield further has central and upper portions detachably receiving a handgrip and alternate supports for supporting the shield from an elevated surface of an article of furniture, such as a television TARGET snnzu) The invention relates generally to toys and moreparticularly to a target board, or shield, of improved construction adapted to be used by children in the playing of various games involving shooting and/or throwing harmless missiles at targets.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved target shield which is usable by a child in a number of different ways, as for example: in shooting at moving images on a television set; in shootingat a mirror image of himself; in shooting at fixed targets of any desired design; and as a hand-held shield to protect the child against various missiles shot, or thrown at him.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved target game apparatus, having the above-described characteristics, which is of simple construction, easy and economical to fabricate, and easy and safe to use. 7

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its organization and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best .be understood from the following description of aspecitic embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several FIGS. and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an improved target shield according to the invention disposed in front offand secured to a television receiver;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 of'FIG. 1, and lookingin the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an exploded, rear perspectiveview of the target shield alone showing a target placard, or picture, capable of assembly therewith by sliding movement into the frame channels at the rear ofthe shield;

FIG. 4 is a vertical, central sectional view through the target shield of FIG. 3 and showing inexploded relation a handgrip and auxiliary parts capable of assembly with the shield;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation showing the target shield disposed in front ofa mirror; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view ofthe handgrip of FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the target shield of the invention is best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, as comprising a shield 10 for reception of a removable target 12. The shield is preferably formed of 'Plexiglas, but may be formed of any other suitable, transparent plastic, glass, or similar material, as a sheet 14 approximately 4 feet high, 2 feet wide, and about a quarterof an inch thick. Two pairs of outturned legs 16,18 are secured'to the bottom ofthe shield 14 by bolts and nuts 22 which permit the legs to be readily detached from the shield for purposes hereinafter stated. At the rear of the shield 14 is'affixed a channel member 24, including inwardly directed webs, forming a rectangular frame open at one side, preferably the top. The securement of the frame channel may be by mechanical securing elements, by an adhesive, or by any other suitable means. The channel frame 24 is adapted to slidably receive the placard target 12, which may have printed thereon, on the side facing the Plexiglas shield, any suitable target, such as a bull's eye, or a picture of an animal, a human being, or the like. The target is provided with a fingerhole 26 centrally thereof andnear the top edge which may be utilized to hold the target while inserting the same downwardly into the frame member 24, or conversely, in removing the target from the shield,

As alternate means for'supporting the target shield 14 in place of the legs 16,18, there are provided a pair of vertically spaced apertures 28,30 near the center of the shield and a pair of laterally spaced apertures 32,34-near the upper edge of the shield. The apertures 28,30 are adapted to receive bolts 36, FIG. 4, which pass therethrough and through openings in the angle brackets 38 of a handgrip 40. The handgrip 40 is thus detachably fastened to the shield by nuts 41. The apertures 32,34 are adapted to receive the hook ends 42 of the supports 2 44, each of which is in the form of a leverlike member 46. disposed generally horizontally, and having a dependent projecting fulcrum 48 near its center. A suction cup 50 facing downwardly, is secured at one end of each lever as by a screw, and the hook end42 of the lever 46 is curved to present a concave surface upwardly.

The target shield, as described above, is susceptible to use in a number of different ways. With the target 12 assembled to the shield 14 and'within the frame member 24, the assembly 10 may be positioned on its feet 16,18 anywhere desired, and a child can proceed to direct conventional darts either by hand, or from a spring-loaded dart pistol, or rifle, of conventional type, toward the target. The darts, being conventional suction cups mounted on the ends of short rigid shafts, will strike the outer face of the Plexiglas shield 14 and will stick thereto. The position of sticking, or striking, will indicate to the child the accuracy of his shooting. Obviously. the suction darts may be removed from the Plexiglas shield 14 and reshot at the same, or other targets.

The child may use the shield 14 without the target placard 12 to shoot at his own mirror image as another form of stationary target, or to practice quick draw from a hip holster. To

do this, he merely places the shield 14 on its legs and in front ofa mirror 52, as shown in FIG. 5, and standing at any desired distance, then draws and shoots at his own image in the mirror which is visible through the transparent shield. Alternatively, the shield may be similarly placed between two children, who can then shoot darts at each other to harmlessly strike the Plexiglas shield. Other harmless missiles may, of course, be used in place of the darts.

When moving targets are desired, the transparent shield 14, without the target placard 12, is placed on its legs 16,18 in front of a television receiver 54 so that the images on the picture tube are visible through the transparent shield, see FIGS. 1 and 2. One or more children may then direct darts from dart guns, or other forms of missiles, at the moving animals, persons, or other objects appearing in the program to which the television receiver is tuned. In thus utilizing the shield, the legs 16,18 are employed for their normal support purpose unless the picture tube in the television set extends above the shield,

in which case the legs 16,18 may be removed, or not, but the shield is lifted and supported from the lever arms 46. This provides a more-or-less permanent mode of hanging the transparent shield in front of the television set as a protective device therefor, and to retain the same permanently available foruse in target practice.-The suction cups on the lever arms are applied in the conventional manner to theupper surface 56 of the television receiver and the lever 46 then extends forwardly beyond the front face of the television cabinet, resting on the downwardly-projecting fulcrum portions 48. The lever hook ends 42are then passed through the apertures 32,34 of the shield so as to hang the latter from the lever arm supports. The shield may be readily removed from the lever arms by merely swinging the shield upwardly and forwardly away from the television cabinet 54.

Still other uses for the shield may be readily visualized. For example, when playing in the snow a child, having removed the legs 16,18 and the target placard l2, affixes the handgrip 40, FIG. 4, and grasps the handgrip, lifting the shield for use in protecting himself from snowballs, and the like, which may be thrown at him by his playmates.

Alternatively, the Plexiglas shield may be embedded in a snow wall to form part-of a fort through which the defenders may peer at the attackers and which, nevertheless, serves to protect the defenders inside the fort from snowballs thrown from-without.

Although a certain specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

l. A target game apparatus for alternative use in framing a fixed or moving target comprising a single flat shield formed of transparent material, an upwardly open generally rectangular frame formed of channel members rigidly secured to the rear side of said shield so that the shield forms the front webs of said channel members with the rear webs thereof defined by rearwardly disposed parallel walls extending inwardly a distance that is relatively short compared to the extent of the shield. a placard having opaque target indicia thereon supported in said frame adjacent said rear side of said shield, said placard being insertable and removable from said frame through the upwardly open side thereof, and means for supporting said shield in a substantially vertical plane.

2. A target apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support means includes alternate support means on upper portions of said shield for supporting the shield from elevated surfaces.

3. A target apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said alternate support means comprise aperture means centrally located in said shield, and a handgrip readily attachably and removably secured to said aperture means.

4, A target apparatusaccording to claim 2. wherein said alternate support means comprise aperture means disposed in said shield near an upper edge thereof and a support member adapted to be removably attached to an upper surface and having a hook portion removably receivable in said aperture means.

5. A target apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said support member comprises a bar disposed substantially horizontally and having said hook portion at one end, said bar having a central dependent fulcrum portion and a downwardly opening suction cup secured to the other end.

6. A target apparatus according to claim 1. wherein said support means includes leg means depending below a bottom edge of said shield for supporting the shield from a lower surface, said leg means beingdetachably secured to the shield. 

